Electrical relay



June 30, 1931. N. c SHAW ELECTRICAL RELAY Filed Oct. 14, 1930 INVENTOR.

By JMJ H 4 ATTORNEY Patented June 30, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE NOBLE C. SHAW, OF SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO- THE UNION SWITCH &

SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENN- SYLVANIA ELECTRICAL RELAY Application. filed October 14, 1930. Serial No, 488,609.

My invention relates to electrical relays, and has for an object the provision of novel and improved means for assembling the relay case.

I will describe one form of relay embodying my invention, and will then point out the novel features thereof in a claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a front view, partly sectional, showing one 32 form of relay case assembly embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the case shown in Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 are fragmental views of parts of the relay case assembly. Fig. 5 is a. bottom view of a part of the relay case assembly shown in Fig. 1. Fig.

6 is an isometric view showing the method of fitting two parts of the relay case assembly.

Fig. 7 is a view of a segment of the relay case assembly before it is assembled.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in all views.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, thereference character 1 denotes the top plate of an electrical relay made of suitable insulating material, such as porcelain or bakelite, and

which carries a first row of terminal posts 19,

a second row of terminal posts 20, a third row of terminal posts 21, a fourth row of terminal posts 22, a mounting spring 33 and 39 an electromagnet 18. The core of electromagnet 18 extends through top plate 1 and terminates on the underside of the top plate in pole piece 3. Armature 2 is controlled by pole piece 3, and attached to armature 2 is a support 17 which carries contact springs 4 and 5*. Associated with contact springs 41* and 5 are contacts 4 and 5, respectively.

The contacts and movable parts on the underside of top plate 1 are enclosed by a glass case 6 which is fitted against a rectangular cork gasket 7, and is held. from sliding by lugs 8, 8, 9 and 9, extending from the underside of the top plate. Integral with glass case 6 are four similar feet 34 which serve as supports for the relay when mounting spring 33 is not used. The bottom of glass case 6 has a rib 35 which serves as a rest for spring 10 when the relay case is assem- I bled. Glass case 6 is secured to top plate 1 by means of straps 11 and 12 and spring 10.

Gr u) Strap 11 is made of a strip of metal having at the top grooves 23 and 23 and having at the bottom a transverse opening 24 and notches 25 and 25 and the strap is so bent that it approximately conforms to the shape of the side of glass case 6. The top end of strap 11 fits in a niche 16 in top plate 1 in such manner that it can not be disengaged from the niche without swinging out away from the glass case so that the end of the groove in the strap will clear the side of the top plate at point C as shown in Fig. 3. Strap 12 is similar in construction to strap 11 and fits similarly in niche 16 as strap 11 fits in niche 16 Straps 11 and 12 extend downwardly along the side of the glass case and are assembled to spring 10. Spring as best seen in F ig. 5 is made of a strip of metal having at one end a U-shaped opening forming the part 27 and having at the other end a longitudinal opening 14, a transverse opening 28 and a hole 36. Assembled in opening 14 is a. key 13, and as best seen in Fig. 7, key 13 comprises a rectangular strip of metal 32 having a hole 29, grooves 30 and 30 and notches 31 and 31. Key 13 is assembled to spring 10 so that it may be moved from one end to the other of opening 14 and is held in line with the opening but cannot be removed. The key, as shown in Fig. 7 is first inserted through slot 14 andbent in such a manner that the wide portions of the key are on opposite sides of the spring with the narrow sections sliding in the slot as a guide. This assembly of spring 10 and key 13 is of advantage in providing a means for holding the key in position for use at all times and avoids the possibility of its being lost while assembling or dismantling the relay case.

In assembling, the relay case 6 is first placed against the gasket 7 and straps 11 and 12 are placed in niches 16 and 16", respectively. The end of strap 11 is inserted through opening 26 of spring 10 so that part 27 engages opening 24 of strap 11. This assembly of the lower end of strap 11 and one end of spring 10 is shown in Fig. 6. The other end of spring 10 is then bent upward so that the end of strap 12 passes through opening 28. At the time of this operation, key 13 is moved in opening 14 so that the end of the key is passed through the transverse opening in strap 12 until hole 29 in key 13 is in alignment with hole 36 in spring 10. The spring 5 is now under compression against the glass case and holds the straps llv and 12 in place. A wire 37 of lead seal '15 is placed through holes 36 and 29 and when the wire is fastened in the lead seal, it is impossible to 10 open-the relay without breaking the seal. 7

' One advantage of this type of relay case assembly is the elimination of any case assembly parts from the inside of the glass case,

. thus preventing the possibility of causing 15 loose particles of dirt or chips'in the relay while assembling the case. Another advantage-is the elimination ofexcessive strains on the top plate and case which may affect relay calibration or cause the glass case to break.

7 Although I have herein shown and described only one form of relay case embodying my inventiom'it is understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein withinthe scope of the appended claim without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. i

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: r

An electrical relay having an insulating top 2 plate provided with two peripheral niches and with a plurality of metallic lugs projectingfrom the undersurface, a glass case coacting'with vthe undersurfaceof said top plate and prevented from sliding by said 85 lugs, a spring having a 'U-shaped opening in one end'and having-in the other end a transverse opening and a longitudinal opening and ahole, a key in said logitudinal opening assembled to slide in said opening but 40 not to be disengaged therefrom, a first and a second sidestrap each having two grooves at one end for hooking such end in each of said niches and each having at the other end a V transverse opening and two notches, the end 7 of said first strap projecting through said U- shaped opening in said spring and secured thereto, the end of said second strap projecting through said transverse opening in said spring, and the end of said key in said longitudinalopeningin said spring being passed through s aidtransverseopening in said second strap. i

a testimony whereof I aflix my signature. P g 56 a V NOBLE C. SHAW. 

